- The Ariane 5 launcher operated by Arianespace has successfully placed two communications satellites in geostationary orbit: MEASAT-3d for the Malaysian operator MEASAT and GSAT-24, built by the Indian space agency ISRO for NSIL.
- For her first mission of the year, and her 113th overall, Ariane 5 has once again demonstrated her exceptional reliability.
- The VA257 mission will improve broadband coverage in the Asia-Pacific region and marks another commercial success for Arianespace in the Asia-Pacific region.
Yesterday at 18:03 local time, an Ariane 5 launcher successfully took off from the European spaceport of Kourou, French Guiana, carrying MEASAT-3d and GSAT-24, two communications satellites in geostationary orbit.
"With this successful mission aboard Ariane 5, Arianespace is honored to support the ambitions of two key players in the Asia-Pacific region: MEASAT, the leading Malaysian satellite operator, and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a state-owned company that reports to the Indian Ministry of Space (DOS) and which acts in collaboration with the Indian space agency, ISRO. With the launch of MEASAT-3d, the fourth satellite that we launch for Malaysia, and of GSAT-24, the 25th Indian satellite that we have launched, we consolidate our long-standing collaboration with these two great companies.“, Declared Stéphane Israël, managing director of Arianespace.
MEASAT-3d, which will join MEASAT-3a and MEASAT-3b in the orbital position of 91,5 ° E, is a multi-mission communications satellite manufactured by Airbus Defense and Space. It will significantly increase transmission rates up to 100 Mbps per user across Malaysia, including areas with limited or no terrestrial network, while providing redundancy and additional capacity for HD, 4K and possibly 8K video services in the Asia- region. Pacific.
MEASAT-3d also carries a highly innovative payload for the Korean operator KTSAT. Designed by Airbus Defense and Space, it will be used for the Korean Augmentation System (KASS), a project of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport led by the Korean space agency KARI, which will significantly improve air traffic management in South Korea .
GSAT-24, a four-tonne Ku-band communications satellite manufactured by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on behalf of NSIL, will provide the Indian subcontinent with high-quality telecommunications and direct-to-home satellite services. (DTH). This will be the first on-demand satellite mission for NSIL.
"This latest success, after that of the James Webb Space Telescope, continues to make the history of Ariane 5“Said André-Hubert Roussel, CEO of ArianeGroup. "Ariane 5 has once again proven its reliability, which today inspires confidence in Arianespace's international customers around the world". Its successes are essential links that promise the Ariane 6 the same reliability, plus competitiveness and versatility.
The Ariane 5 heavy launcher is a program of the European Space Agency (ESA), conducted jointly by industry and public institutions from 12 European partner states.
ArianeGroup is the prime contractor for the development and production of Ariane 5 and is responsible for preparing the launcher for take-off. ArianeGroup leads a network of over 600 companies, including 350 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). ArianeGroup delivers a “ready to fly” launcher on the launch pad to its subsidiary Arianespace, which markets and operates the Ariane 5 from the Guyana Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana. During the launch campaigns, Arianespace works closely with Cnes, the design authority of the Ariane 5 launcher and responsible for the satellite preparation facilities.
Upon completion of this mission, four Ariane 5s remain to be launched before the Ariane 6 takes over for European institutional missions and the rapidly growing needs of the commercial market.